Finals

[Wardy]

And the wedding I was invited too on Grand Final day - I've said I can't make it!!!

[Industrial Fan]

My sons 2nd birthday is 30th September.

I went and did a Jolly...

[bloodbrother]

tigers

I still say the only way it will ever be addressed is if the swans refuse to complete the game if the half time umpiring is very lop sided.

The time for talking is over. Take a stand.

I think if we can get past the crows assuming we beat the cats out gf opponents will be GWS ,think the tigers will get rolled in the prelim

[Beerman]

While I understand everyone's apprehension in regards to umpiring in grand finals I actually think the AFL won't want a repeat of last year. If it happens once it can be explained away very easily but a second time in a row would have the media, everywhere except Melbourne, and the public asking very very difficult questions. I don't think they'd risk it. Now when it comes to Richmonds prelim.....well that's a different story all together[emoji849]

I agree. Considering how the AFL savaged the umpires after the GF it is clear that they were not happy.

If you don't think the AFL were savage, then consider how often they come out and say the umpires did a bad job. What do you think it means for them to make the slightest suggestion that the integrity of the most important game of the year was compromised?

If they were happy with the situation, they could say "while there may have been one or two errors we were very happy with the overall standard of umpiring" or even just kept their mouths shut and said nothing at all. For them to say that it wasn't up to standard is a massive call and tells us they didn't like it either.

[Meg]

I agree. Considering how the AFL savaged the umpires after the GF it is clear that they were not happy.

If you don't think the AFL were savage, then consider how often they come out and say the umpires did a bad job. What do you think it means for them to make the slightest suggestion that the integrity of the most important game of the year was compromised?

If they were happy with the situation, they could say "while there may have been one or two errors we were very happy with the overall standard of umpiring" or even just kept their mouths shut and said nothing at all. For them to say that it wasn't up to standard is a massive call and tells us they didn't like it either.

But I think that the AFL report on the GF umpiring was leaked, not officially released. Plus someone put a stop to a Whistleblowers segment on the AFL website after the GF, despite the fact there had been one for every match during the year including the other finals. I don't think the AFL wanted too much light focused on the poor umpiring (and I am not in the 'deliberate bias' camp, in my view it was very poor umpiring under intense pressure).

Also, interestingly the Whistleblowers segment has been quietly dropped altogether this year after a few videos earlier in the season. A pity in my view, I learnt a lot from watching it every week.

[dejavoodoo44]

But I think that the AFL report on the GF umpiring was leaked, not officially released. Plus someone put a stop to a Whistleblowers segment on the AFL website after the GF, despite the fact there had been one for every match during the year including the other finals. I don't think the AFL wanted too much light focused on the poor umpiring (and I am not in the 'deliberate bias' camp, in my view it was very poor umpiring under intense pressure).

Also, interestingly the Whistleblowers segment has been quietly dropped altogether this year after a few videos earlier in the season. A pity in my view, I learnt a lot from watching it every week.

Yes, Meg: you must have been writing, while I was googling to see if there was any stories that I missed. Your recollection is much like my recollection, and I think that we're right. There was a Foxsports story, that said that the AFL review had found important umpiring mistakes, but as I can tell, the AFL never made a statement. Also, the missing episode of The Whistleblowers never did surface. And strangely, there didn't seem to be any stories written, or questions asked, as to why the AFL never made an official comment.

[Thunder Shaker]

I think if we can get past the crows assuming we beat the cats out gf opponents will be GWS ,think the tigers will get rolled in the prelim

If it's a Swans-Giants GF (or any other combination that doesn't have either the Crows or Richmond), there will be a LOT of discussion about the pre-finals bye gimping the chances of the first-week winners of the qualifying finals.

[liz]

If it's a Swans-Giants GF (or any other combination that doesn't have either the Crows or Richmond), there will be a LOT of discussion about the pre-finals bye gimping the chances of the first-week winners of the qualifying finals.

There will, though it would be far from conclusive. Most pundits acknowledge that the Swans are one of the best teams in it this year, and that their ladder position of 6th doesn't reflect their talent and form. So if we beat the Crows (and that's a huge, huge IF, given we've not yet beaten the Cats), it could be argued that it's got nothing to do with the Crows spending the week up in the Gold Coast sunning themselves.

Similarly, despite underperforming in their QF, the Giants have a talent laden squad and are more than capable of beating Richmond on absolute merit (plus no-one would ever be able to dismiss the effect of the Tigers' capacity to self-destruct, nor their large number of very inexperienced players).

[Doctor]

The Giants will also be better without Cameron and Mummy IMO.

[Meg]

......the Crows spending the week up in the Gold Coast sunning themselves.

I thought that was an odd thing to do ...

[Daisi]

I really don't want to be in a grand final against Richmond...I'm still backing an Adelaide-Richmond Grand final with Richmond to be gifted it....

It will be very difficult for us to win against both Geelong and Adelaide...

I'm expecting a very good game tomorrow night and hope I get there, what with winds in Sydney and rain in Melbourne...should be an interesting journey..

[MattW]

I really don't want to be in a grand final against Richmond...I'm still backing an Adelaide-Richmond Grand final with Richmond to be gifted it....

It will be very difficult for us to win against both Geelong and Adelaide...

I'm expecting a very good game tomorrow night and hope I get there, what with winds in Sydney and rain in Melbourne...should be an interesting journey..

If we make it I really hope it's against Richmond. How good would that experience be?

[Beerman]

Yes, Meg: you must have been writing, while I was googling to see if there was any stories that I missed. Your recollection is much like my recollection, and I think that we're right. There was a Foxsports story, that said that the AFL review had found important umpiring mistakes, but as I can tell, the AFL never made a statement. Also, the missing episode of The Whistleblowers never did surface. And strangely, there didn't seem to be any stories written, or questions asked, as to why the AFL never made an official comment.

Thanks for the clarification. I recalled it as being an article on the AFL site, but most likely I was wrong. (Or the article was simply "damage control" after the leak).

Nevertheless, I think the fact that the report concluded this shows they weren't happy. And if we want to play "Conspiracy Theories" then here's one - AFL leaked the report because they couldn't publicly criticise the umpires but wanted to make a statement.

[annew]

Thanks for the clarification. I recalled it as being an article on the AFL site, but most likely I was wrong. (Or the article was simply "damage control" after the leak).

Nevertheless, I think the fact that the report concluded this shows they weren't happy. And if we want to play "Conspiracy Theories" then here's one - AFL leaked the report because they couldn't publicly criticise the umpires but wanted to make a statement.

Was on fox sports
Grand Final free kicks Sydney Swans, AFL?s review of Grand Final finds umpiring was not up to expected standard | Fox Sports

- - - Updated - - -

Was on fox sports
Grand Final free kicks Sydney Swans, AFL?s review of Grand Final finds umpiring was not up to expected standard | Fox Sports

http://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/umpiring-found-to-be-sub-standard-after-afl-grand-final-review/1jdrkbgxlrisd16nhs32iba9yh

While the AFL agreed that the overall umpiring performance on the day did not have a direct impact on the result of the game, it did acknowledge the performance was not up to standard.

[stellation]

The Giants will also be better without Cameron and Mummy IMO.

Certainly better without a clearly hobbled Mummy and Cameron sitting on the pine.